Colleges on the frontline of a divided nation

Young people are navigating an increasingly divided world, with the hostile rhetoric and fearmongering spread on social media sometimes casting a dark shadow over college life.

Further education colleges are renowned for welcoming students from all backgrounds; their corridors and classrooms are often more diverse than the towns and cities they’re based in.

But the divisive forces they are up against risk conflict on campus and costly legal battles. Experts argue that traditional methods of managing cohesion and inclusion are no longer good enough.

Riots in town centres across the country, fuelled by false claims that the perpetrator of the murders of three young girls in Southport was a Muslim asylum seeker, brought those tensions into sharp focus last summer and sparked panic amongst many college ESOL learners. Around 147 children were among the 1,590 arrested during the unrest.

A judge-led inquiry, The Southport Inquiry, began its first live hearings in Liverpool last week.

In Middlesbrough, mobs of hooligans set fire to cars and smashed windows.

Middlesbrough College staff were on holiday at the time, but that did not stop them coming into town the next day, brooms in hands, from homes across the region to lead a clean-up effort (see main picture).

Community work taking place at Sunderland College in the aftermath of the riots

“That’s us. That’s what we do,” said Aimey Adamson, Middlesbrough College’s vice principal for students and communications.

A significant proportion of students at the college’s town centre campus are ESOL learners who the college are “supporting to make a new life”.

“Our work was around showing them that we stand with you – it’s really important that we’re creating a sense of community for them,” says Adamson.

Similarly, after the riots ripped through Sunderland, its college staff sprung into action against the divisive rhetoric. Drama staff members Matt Waller and Jonathan Wharton penned a poem, ‘Open Yer Eyes’, and its creative arts students collaborated on an immersive series of artworks celebrating the city’s rich cultural tapestry.

And crucially, a conference for leaders was held specifically to discuss colleges’ role in community cohesion; part of the FE Commissioner’s ‘One More Thing’ series, and hosted by college group Education Partnership North East.

The group said at the time that “in the wake of the 2024 riots and an era of increasing inequality and economic challenges, building cohesive communities has never been more important”.

Professor Ted Cantle, advisor to Belong – The Cohesion and Integration Network, who spoke at the conference, praised Education Partnership North East for “grasping the nettle”.

Sunderland had, he said, engaged its students in discussion “in a constructive way” so “genuine reflection and learning took place”.

A debate around digital safety, for example, helped them to “understand how algorithms work to build on their emotions and develop into groupthink”.

But he warned that “all too often, what takes place is ignored” by colleges.

“There’s this pretence that this hasn’t happened, it’s put in the too-difficult box which compounds the problem. It means the stereotypes are never challenged, the myths never disconfirmed. There’s just no opportunity for those young people to come to terms with the change that is taking place in their communities.”

Professor Ted Cantle, advisor to Belong – The Cohesion and Integration Network

A ‘low level’ shift

While last summer’s race riots reflect the most extreme end of the political divide, Lisa Humphries, chair of the National Association for Managers of Student Services (NAMSS), believes colleges are seeing a “low-level shifting of divisive attitudes” and “disengagement with society” from their learners.

She believes the divisive rhetoric of political players, including Donald Trump and Elon Musk, means “young people are seeing people saying whatever they like with no accountability”, which is leading to an “increase in division” and a lack of “common moral ground”.

NAMSS chair Lisa Humphries

In a 2024 NAMSS survey of 62 colleges, over two-thirds of respondents felt that student disaffection with wider society had worsened in the last year, with social media identified as the top cause.

Colleges are seeing “regular classroom conversations about immigrants”, with legal immigrants being viewed similarly by many students as those who arrived illegally”, she said.

And FE colleges are on the front foot in teaching learners how to identify and call out extremism; ‘radicalisation’ was referenced in 18 out of 56 Ofsted reports published so far this year, with only five colleges criticised for not doing enough and 13 praised for their teaching in this regard.

In April at Southport College (just a five-minute drive from where the knife attack on young girls took place last July), adults and apprentices were found to “articulate well their understanding of fundamental British values and know how to keep themselves safe from the threats of radicalisation and extremism”.

Feeling unsafe

Feeling unsafe in their communities was flagged as one of the “biggest concerns” of young people in the last Youth Voice Census by Youth Employment UK.

Last year, the census found that only 62 per cent of young people in education felt safe in their learning environment, a nine percentage point decrease from the year before.

Fears around personal safety were felt most by young women, those eligible for free school meals and transgender respondents.

The preliminary findings of its 2025 census also reflect growing anxieties around “feeling part of a community, that sense of social cohesion,” said Youth Employment UK deputy CEO Lauren Mistry. “For lots of young people, the social divide is really heightened.”

Discrimination all round

Anecdotally, Youth Employment UK has also noticed a rise in derogatory and racist comments on its social media posts and in the “general commentary” this year, said Mistry.

For the last three years, the census has found more young people in education reporting high rates of discrimination.

Over a third of young people (35 per cent) in last year’s census scored discrimination as one of their top three concerns for the country.

The biggest factor for NEET white boys is that they feel they cannot access work or training because of their colour and gender.

Every group feels discriminated against, which is a real worry

“They feel like they’re getting less and feel more and more disconnected from a system that’s going to work for them and support them,” said Mistry.

“Every group, no matter their race, gender or age, feels discriminated against, which is a real worry. Particularly around social media, that sense of divide is really high.”

One of the trends that colleges have expressed concern about is a perceived rise in misogyny among young men.

But the real picture may be more nuanced. Natasha Eeles, CEO of Bold Voices, which promotes critical awareness of gender inequality, believes that although the debate around misogyny now is “very emotive and heightened”, she is unsure whether misogyny is really worsening among young males or whether “we didn’t have the language or even the recognition of it, even five years ago”.

And Humphries is concerned about “extreme feminism” in colleges as well as misogyny.

Sharon Mangoma and her daughter at a culture day at Suffolk’s ONE college

Culture days ‘don’t work’

Events that aim to lessen the sense of discrimination by celebrating diverse cultures have become commonplace fixtures on college calendars.

This year, such events took place at One Sixth Form College (ONE), Newham College, New College Swindon, Runshaw College and Middlesbrough College among others.

Adamson said that at Middlesbrough College’s recent Festival of Culture,“to see our Muslim female students in their finery dancing in public was just beautiful”.

And an Iftar the college held was particularly appreciated by 16-18 ESOL learners, around half of whom were classed as unaccompanied minors, in foster care or supported living. “It was really important for them to have that sense of community,” she said.

But such events are not always embraced by the whole community.

Runshaw was slammed by some parents for ‘totally ignoring’ VE celebrations that took place on the same day.

And there are other cultural sensitivities to bear in mind. BMet was accused by some students of being “insensitive” for holding its first culture day event two years ago during Ramadan, said the college’s student experience director Kay Burton-Williams.

The event nonetheless proved to be popular and students felt one day was not enough, so the college now holds two culture days a year and is being asked to extend to a “culture week”.

However, it is hard to quantify the impact of such events.

Middlesbrough College Festival of Culture

Sunita Gordon, co-founder of SaferSpace and governor at South Thames Colleges Group, points out that community cohesion is “not easily measured in data dashboards or inspection frameworks”, and “when it works, it often goes unnoticed because it prevents problems from arising rather than reacting to them after the fact”.

But Cantle argues that culture days “generally don’t work” when it comes to community cohesion. “Unless there is some meaningful and longer-term engagement and debate, it won’t change anybody’s attitudes. In fact, in some cases it will harden them.”

Attendees, he claims, are often people who are already multicultural in their ethos, or from those communities being celebrated.

“The people who don’t go are the ones who probably should go.

“In order to change people’s attitudes and behaviours, you’ve got to be able to debate and challenge what’s around you, you can’t do that just by flashing cultural tokens in front of somebody.”

Middlesbrough College Assistant Principal Rachel Gray and staff from Adult and Community Learning
with Mayor Chris Cooke taking part in the riot clean up

Opportunities for debate

At Nelson and Colne College Group, an extended project qualification is used as a “vehicle for creating arenas for debate”, said principal Lisa O’Loughlin.

“Human libraries” are held in which people from different backgrounds and perspectives are invited in and asked questions by young people.

O’Loughlin believes colleges have a “real responsibility to support and challenge young people to understand that things aren’t just binary answers to every conversation”.

“The more that we can expose them to those opportunities for debate, the more we can offset the social media block-facts mentality and develop the oracy skills they need to go into the world”.

At BMet, Burton-Williams has had to hold difficult conversations with students urging the college to adapt the ‘quiet reflection space’ used by Muslim students as a prayer room into two separate rooms for males and females.

She explains to them that “there are particular concerns if you start segregating” which is “not our place” as “we’re not a place of worship”. “People make judgments, ‘OK, you’re a middle-aged white woman. What are you going to know about that?’.

“The more that FE professionals have that confidence to talk about [these issues], the better, not just people who work in EDI. But for some, the thought of that conversation terrifies them because they think, ‘what if I get it wrong?’”

Steve Wright and the puppets he uses to engage with young people

Hidden from view on social media

Cantle believes the “social bubbles” that form in schools and local communities are “compounded by the bubbles that surround us on social media”, which is making it “more difficult” for colleges to “break down some of these groupthink, insular ideas”.

Steve Wright, a youth engagement specialist working with colleges, was horrified last summer when his own daughter was exposed to messages on Snapchat encouraging young people to attend a local riot, which was foiled by police before it could take place.

He fears the nature of closed social media groups makes it “much more difficult” for colleges to know what messages young people are being exposed to.

Some divisive social media content is flagged by college internet safety firewalls; a June 2024 meeting of the West Nottinghamshire College standards committee reported that so far that academic year, its Smoothwall firewall had flagged 434 concerns, “largely low-level and behavioural”; however, “once or twice a month something is found which raises a significant safeguarding concern”.

But Gordon believes that colleges “have to be realistic about our limits”.

“Staff have only a few hours each week to connect with learners, build trust, and equip them with life skills. Meanwhile, divisive voices often from high-profile political figures or online influencers have 24/7 access,” she says.

“As educators, we can offer structure and support. But we can’t monitor their algorithm. We can’t undo a viral TikTok. And by the time a concern reaches us, the damage may already be done.”

Community work in the aftermath of the riots in Sunderland

Legal minefield

Sometimes, tutors are put off from engaging in debate for fear of inadvertently offending a particular group or inciting hate.

The Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act places stronger responsibility on registered higher education institutions to uphold freedom of speech principles.

The University of Sussex was the first to be fined (£586,000) under new powers given to the Office for Students after its governing documents were found to have not upheld freedom of speech and academic freedom.

Arif Ahmed, OfS director for freedom of speech, told the BBC that exposure to views which students might find offensive was “part of the process of education”, warning there was “potential for higher fines in the future”.

But colleges are operating in a legal minefield, amid concerns they could also be sued for being seen to incite inflammatory speech.

A lawyer with FE and HE clients said there is “a lot of money around for litigation” from “actors outside this country and very wealthy people within this country”.

They added that “grey areas” arise when there are “competing discriminations”, such as “a very extreme religious view butting up against LGBTQ rights in particular”.

“Employment lawyers get very excited, because there’s no right or wrong answer to that – it’s just what the judge feels that he or she needs to do on the day.

“This makes our friends in the sector very, very nervous, they’re looking over their shoulder constantly, worrying about whether they’re about to be sued”.

Community work in the aftermath of the riots in Sunderland

A maths teacher fired by New College Swindon for refusing to use the name and pronouns of a trans student has been granted an appeal against a tribunal decision that ruled he was not unfairly dismissed, which is set to be heard in November. The college argued it dismissed Kevin Lister, who has crowd-funded over £36,000 so far towards his legal costs, for the way he manifested his gender-critical views, not for holding those views.

It’s a tightrope every college has to walk with in the absence of good guidance from the government; protecting students and staff with rights not to be discriminated against under the Equality Act against the freedom of speech and equalities rights of those “expressing beliefs”.

One college manager, whose college had been subject to a campaign by some students against a Harry Potter-themed trip because they disagreed with JK Rowling’s views on gender, said, “Some of the trans narrative over the last 18 months has been really challenging in lots of ways”.

But Cantle believes that although colleges “don’t want to see offensive attitudes expressed” on their campuses, “being offensive is not against the law, and unless you’re prepared to have serious debates, then how do people ever come to terms with difference?”

Humphries pointed out that not only do FE staff now require the skills to be able to “facilitate discussions and confront divisive behaviour”; they also need to “overcome pressures from Ofsted and adhere to Prevent legislation, without funding to upskill our staff to meet these challenges”.

Fixing resits requires fixing the system around them

For many young people, resitting their GCSEs in English and maths is the final opportunity to secure a qualification that can open doors to further education, training, or employment. It’s a critical moment and one that can shape their prospects long after they leave the classroom.

Teachers and colleges working with resit students know the stakes are high. They also know the reality: many students arrive in 16-19 education feeling disheartened and disengaged, often shaped by repeated setbacks and negative educational experiences. For these learners, rebuilding confidence and motivation isn’t just a teaching challenge, it’s a human one.

Despite these hurdles, resit teachers consistently demonstrate passion, commitment, and resilience. They understand the importance of their role and are determined to help their students succeed. But they urgently need more support, better tools, and access to professional development that’s relevant to their context. These teachers are doing their best with what they have, but the system needs to do better for them.

A clearer picture of the resit landscape

That’s why the Education Policy Institute’s (EPI) new report is so timely.

It offers a clear and comprehensive view of the current resit system and doesn’t shy away from the big issues. This includes reflections from resit teachers that specific professional development to support learners with past negative experience of education would be beneficial to help foster better attendance and motivation for resits.

Their research also highlights the persistent attainment gap for disadvantaged resit students, who are behind their peers by a fifth of a grade in English and one eighth of a grade in maths. This is a systemic issue that continues to limit opportunities for too many young people.

Another interesting finding from the report highlights just how much 16-19 teachers value networks, helping them to share best practice and build relationships with their peers.

Crucially, the report sets out what needs to change: greater investment through a 16-19 student premium, better alignment between policy and practice, and more meaningful support for teachers through training and resources.

Putting evidence into action

At the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), we believe that improving outcomes for resit students should start with evidence. That’s why we’re investing in trials of high-potential programmes and approaches in colleges across England. This will help us understand what works best for resit learners, and why. Our goal is to build the evidence base, so that 16-19 teachers have access to more resources to support their practice.

Building a community of practice

Earlier this year, we launched a new evidence partnership for 16–19 education, a collaborative network designed to help colleges and sixth forms access, interpret, and apply evidence to improve teaching and learning.

We know that change sticks when educators work together. This partnership will help build a much-needed community of practice, particularly for those teaching English and maths resits. It’s about bridging the gap between research and real-world classrooms, so no teacher has to navigate these challenges alone.

A spotlight on CPD

As the EPI report rightly highlights, the sector is crying out for more and better continuing professional development (CPD). It might not grab headlines but it’s one of the most powerful tools we have to support both teachers and learners.

Later this year, we’ll publish our first-ever guidance report tailored specifically for 16–19 educators, with a focus on high-quality CPD. This focus reflects what we’ve heard from the teachers we work with every day: relevant, accessible training can be a game-changer for improving practice and outcomes.

Collaboration is key

None of this can be done in isolation. Fixing the resit system requires collaboration, coordination, and long-term commitment across the sector. Policymakers, school and college leaders, teacher educators, researchers, and funders: we all have a role to play.

At the EEF, we’re committed to playing ours. Every young person deserves the chance to succeed, no matter their background or previous attainment. With the right support in place, resit students can thrive, and better collaboration can help to make that happen.

College teacher shortages put government missions at risk, say MPs

An influential committee of MPs has demanded six-monthly updates on college teacher recruitment and retention amid warnings shortages put the government’s missions at risk.

Parliament’s public accounts committee (PAC) also slammed the government for lacking a “coherent plan” to boost recruitment and failing to clearly explain how its 6,500 teacher target was calculated. 

The findings have been laid out in a report today, which follows a National Audit Office study into teacher supply earlier this year.

Committee member Sarah Olney said: “The shortfalls laid out in our report show how urgent it is that DfE lays out the detail behind its pledge for 6,500 more teachers.

“If the recommendations in our report are followed, the government will have an explicit answer, based on its own analysis and evidence, on whether it is time to offer teachers more flexibility, and/or to pay them more.”

Here’s what you need to know…  

Set out 6.5k teacher details and milestones

The report noted officials could not give the committee a “clear explanation” of how the government’s 6,500-teacher pledge was calculated or how it will fill workforce gaps. Forecasts suggest up to 12,400 more teachers will be needed in colleges alone by 2028.

“There remains no information on the baseline against which the pledge will be measured, how it will be split across schools and colleges, or the milestones… to be met for the department to be on track to deliver by the end of this Parliament,” it added.

The committee said the department should set out this information and outline how “it will stay focused on teacher retention alongside recruitment”.

Pepe Di’Iasio, of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the pledge “does not seem anything like enough to address future need and we would urge ministers to address actual teacher shortages rather than fixate on a figure which is largely meaningless”.

The government told FE Week last week the pledge would be based on improving the net number of teachers, using the 2023-24 academic year as a baseline. This means not all teachers will be ‘new’, as promised, and they will not be focused on shortage subjects either.

College vacancies threaten Labour’s vision

PAC noted that further education teacher shortages impact “the type and extent of skills developed” by colleges. This “puts the achievement of the government’s missions for opportunity and growth at risk”.

Given this “urgent need”, the DfE has been told to “update the committee on its full recruitment and retention plans for the further education sector as soon as possible”.

Further updates should then be made “every six months until summer 2028 on its progress”.

An estimated 1,600 new teachers will be needed by 2027-28 in secondary schools, whereas between 8,400 and 12,400 will be needed in further education by 2028-29 to meet skills needs and rising student numbers.

‘No coherent plan’

DfE has been told it “lacks a coherent plan, suitable targets, and sufficient evidence” showing its funding is focused “on what works best” to boost teacher numbers.

While it has evaluated “some” of its school recruitment and retention initiatives, it has not undertaken a “full” review, despite “a recommendation by a previous public accounts committee in 2016”.

Evaluations of DfE’s further education initiatives were even “less mature”.

Understanding competition with schools

Ministers have been urged to develop a “whole system strategy”, based on a “fuller evidence base”, which establishes “the preferred balance between recruitment and retention initiatives”.

Higher salaries in schools and industry are flagged as key reason why high numbers of FE teachers quit the profession. The PAC took aim at the DfE’s understanding of the competition for teachers between colleges and schools in particular. 

It found that the department’s only recruitment strategy since 2019 had been for schools, and that teams of schools and FE officials until recently “worked in silos”.

The report said: “The department has now started to think in a more joined-up way, to help better understand what works and the trade-offs of its decisions”. 

Value for money of pay rises

The committee recommended that officials evaluate “value-for-money of pay against other recruitment and retention initiatives, to make an explicit decision on whether it needs to do more to ensure teachers are paid the right amount”. This would inform decisions on “whether it needs to do more to ensure teachers are paid the right amount”.

The report added that the benefits associated with being on the teachers’ pensions scheme are a “hugely valuable yet easily under-sold perk of the job”.

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, dismissed the recommendation. 

“My response is that we have to face up to the reality that pay is the biggest barrier to recruitment and retention in FE. Until that is addressed, colleges will struggle to recruit the right staff and the government’s ambitions for skills will be thwarted,” he said.

Stop trying to make technical education look academic

Most of us could easily name a few GCSE subjects. The same goes for A-levels. And while degree titles are a little more complex, ask any person on the street and most will give you a recognisable summation of said subject.

These qualifications are familiar. The academic journey is, by and large, linear: school, then sixth form or college, then university – with a well-known single door of entry in UCAS. It’s neat, tidy and widely understood.

Now consider vocational and technical education through the lens of the labour market. How many occupations are there in the UK? In the NHS alone, there are over 350, many of which even seasoned professionals might struggle to define. What exactly does a clinical coder do? A phlebotomist?

Multiply that complexity across the economy and you get an ever-changing, sprawling network of routes, job roles and specialisms. The labour market is constantly evolving.

If academic qualifications develop at the pace of a gently flowing stream, then vocational and technical ones should move like a raging torrent – because the labour market does too!

Unlike the academic route, technical education doesn’t have a single path with a clearly marked entrance. Today’s economy demands breadth, depth and talent wherever it can be found. That means many paths and doorways to jobs and better jobs.

Some roles are hyper-specialised, requiring mastery of a focused skill set. Others, particularly in SMEs, demand versatility; from multi-disciplinary technical skills to running a business end-to-end.

So, when people talk about simplifying technical education, making it ‘more like academic education’, they’re misunderstanding the complexity and dynamically changing  nature of the economy and labour market. 

Edward De Bono said it best: “Simplicity before understanding is simplistic; simplicity after understanding is simple”.

The age-old trope ‘can’t vocational and technical qualifications just be a bit more like GCSEs and A-levels’ isn’t just tired, it’s deeply flawed. The labour market isn’t simple. To simply reduce the complexity is to ignore the reality of what employers need to grow and how all learners can succeed throughout their lives. 

As a wise boss once told me: “One person’s simplification is simply another person’s lack of important detail”. 

So, the better exam question is: What should a system optimised for coherence and high-quality look like? 

Coherence gives learners and employers the ability to navigate complexity. High-quality delivers the requisite trust and confidence.

Skills supply must keep pace with the labour market. When my sons sit GCSEs three years apart, I wouldn’t be overly comfortable if the content changed radically. But if they started the same apprenticeship three years apart, the idea that nothing would have changed is frankly ludicrous. 

I’ve long felt that comparing technical to academic education is like comparing my two sons. One is a natural sportsman, the other has to work at it. One is naturally academic (i.e. good at remembering and regurgitating information), the other needs to study hard and often needs to learn in a few different ways before things really sink in. One follows the rules, the other challenges them without hesitation.

Would I ever say one is better than the other? Absolutely not. They’re different – and that difference is what makes them brilliant in their own way. Do I hold one or the other in higher esteem? No, I love them for their differences, because that’s what makes them who they are.

It’s the same with education. Different doesn’t have to mean unequal.

That applies to assessment, too. Written exams are still seen as the gold standard. Ironic that we don’t think this for the driving test, yet this glaringly obvious fact has become increasingly obfuscated by our years of ‘simplification’. Written examinations are absolutely right for some disciplines or situations, but they are deeply inadequate for others. 

Would you hire a chef based on an essay about sauces? Or would you rather taste their cooking? 

The obvious fact is that practical skills need practical assessments. The relentless push towards written exams as the default smacks more of academic elitism than real-world relevance. And skills policy could do with a good seasoning of real-world relevance.

All this said, employers do say they want simplicity, but not necessarily in the qualifications themselves. Yes, maybe a greater degree of standardising the qualification labels that we use would help. But what employers are really calling for is certainty in policy, funding, eligibility, provision and pathways. A joined-up system that makes sense. 

Why don’t T Levels align better with apprenticeships or Higher Technical Qualifications? Why are English and maths seemingly crucial to underpinning competence in an apprenticeship at 16-18 but not at 19+? Why do skills bootcamps offer huge flexibility while other provision is prescribed in fine detail? 

There are, of course, answers to these questions, but they fall short of describing a coherent system. Without coherence, simplicity is simply a dream – one we’ve had for 20 years or more. And this is what we need to fix.

So let’s stop chasing simplicity through false comparisons. Let’s build a system that’s coherent, high-quality, responsive and empowering. One that gives real agency to both learners and employers.

Vocational and technical education doesn’t need to be more like academic education. It just needs to be properly understood, respected and given the latitude and resources to grow into the very best VTQ system in the world. Simple.

How trust built a transformative education partnership

Our college is subcontracted by Heart of Worcestershire College to deliver all aspects of learning, therapy and care to students at their campus.

Innovative thinking is part of our charity’s DNA, so when we entered conversations with Heart of Worcestershire College about a collaboration, we could see endless opportunities for students and all parties involved.

Creative, aspirational thinking is at the heart of specialist further education. Every day our multi-disciplinary teams – learning, therapy and care support – come up with innovative approaches for students. There is nothing standardised about disability, individualised solutions to overcome day to day and lifelong challenges is key.

The project evolved from the lack of suitable provision in Worcestershire for young adults with complex needs. National Star couldn’t support them as the families felt the daily commute to its campuses in Hereford or Ullenwood was too much. Heart of Worcestershire’s team didn’t have the expertise to work with those with the most complex needs.

Our focus was around, ‘what can we do to make it work’. Heart of Worcestershire shared the desire, so we set about identifying various approaches.

The students are registered on Heart of Worcestershire’s individualised learner record, who are accountable for the outcomes and the welfare of the students. The sub-contract to National Star means the full team delivering the programmes are employed by National Star, who assess the learners, confirm if a programme can be offered through to delivering and managing all aspects of their programmes.

What you don’t see in a business plan and costings is the value of trust and the importance of shared ethos and culture. You can’t calculate that in a tender bid, yet it is critical for this type of partnership to work.

The relationship between the colleges began in 2021 when we partnered as part of the DfE’s edTech demonstrator programme. Heart of Worcestershire subcontracted National Star to help deliver training and support as a specialist in the field of technology. That partnership was so successful that United Learning extended the colleges’ contract.

What we discovered was that our colleges shared the same values and ethos. One of National Star’s strategic objectives is to promote the best quality education and care for young adults with complex needs across the country. Heart of Worcestershire is passionate about providing further education to all young people, including those with the most complex needs.

And so, the discussions began. Heart of Worcestershire had available space to deliver, but not the expertise. National Star had the expertise and the appetite to deliver specialist education in Worcestershire.

Let’s be clear. Despite our best intentions this project would not have come to fruition without the full support of Worcestershire County Council. The local authority is a core part of the partnership. They believed in what we wanted to do and provided a grant to refurbish a Heart of Worcestershire building that would be appropriate for students with complex needs.

That shared vision and the case for the provision was so compelling that we maintained the momentum through changes of key personnel at all three partners, including the appointment of new CEOs at both Heart of Worcestershire and National Star.

The two colleges and the local authority sat down together to do the financial modelling. Again, we had a shared vision. This project is about providing desperately needed local specialist education. It is about creating a service that is viable, not about making a profit.

There were challenges because we were creating something new, a service and an approach not being delivered anywhere else. We learned as we went along. It was satisfying that both Dame Christine Lenehan and the FE and Skills Minister, Baroness Smith, commented on the partnership in their speeches at the recent Natspec conference, stating it was the best way forward for the future.

‘Without shared beliefs and trust, it will never be sustainable’

As we enter the final term of our first year, we are thrilled with how the provision has gone. More importantly, the five students have thrived. We have interest in more places for the academic year and will have eight students enrolled.

This project can be replicated elsewhere but what is critical is that the values and leadership of all partners are completely aligned. Without shared beliefs and trust, it will never be sustainable. The local authority must also be committed to the project. Without their support, first to provide the grant to pay for the essential building work and then to agree to fund student places, this project would never have got off the ground. It demonstrates very clearly what local authorities can achieve when it embraces innovative approaches.

The government also has a role to play to encourage such relationships between specialist and mainstream by reviewing sub-contracting rules and the tendering process. As part of the tendering process emphasis should be weighted on ensuring the values and vision of both parties are aligned, this must be built into the due diligence.

It is the working relationship, shared values and trust which will ensure the success.

Let’s rethink what financial sustainability means for FE   

As policymakers, providers and sector leaders take stock of the recent spending review and the Education Select Committee’s inquiry into FE and skills, one message must cut through the noise: financial sustainability in FE cannot be reduced to a conversation about cost-cutting or efficiency alone.

We need a systemic reappraisal of what it costs to run a modern, inclusive and responsive FE college and an honest recognition that current funding levels simply do not stack up. 

At Etio, we have worked extensively with FE institutions benchmarking their financial performance. Our recent submission to the committee draws on detailed analysis of college accounts, operational data and workforce structures across the sector. It presents a worrying picture: over half of general FE colleges were operating in deficit in 2022-23 despite concerted efforts to contain costs and restructure provision. 

This tells us something important. The financial fragility of the sector is not primarily a product of inefficiency or poor decision-making. It is the outcome of a long-term erosion of per-student funding, rising delivery costs, and a growing requirement for learner support that colleges are meeting with increasingly constrained resources. 

Funding per student is 11 per cent lower than in 2010-11. And yet, our benchmarking database shows that colleges have held their operational cost base remarkably steady; reducing proportional spend on teaching, support and admin from 54 per cent to 52 per cent of income over the past decade. That’s equivalent to a £1.2 million reduction at a £60 million income college. 

‘The resilience of FE has masked a deeper fragility‘

Colleges have grown class sizes, cut back remission time and shifted towards more cost-efficient delivery models, with increased use of instructor roles and flatter management structures.  

Yet the cracks are showing. Colleges that support high volumes of high-needs learners are forced to pare back business support and professional services to protect front-line student provision. It may preserve support ratios in the classroom but it comes at a cost: weaker operational resilience, overstretched back-office teams and a growing backlog in estates and IT investment. 

The energy crisis has only added fuel to the fire. In 2010-11, energy costs per square metre in college estates were typically under £14. Today, we routinely record figures more than double that. Ageing, inefficient buildings compound the issue. 

So, what needs to change? 

First, we must challenge the narrative that colleges are structurally inefficient. The data does not support it. What we are witnessing is a sector that has flexed, adapted and absorbed pressure far beyond what is sustainable. The resilience of FE has masked a deeper fragility, and that mask is slipping. 

Second, we need a funding model that reflects reality. Colleges should be resourced not just to survive but to deliver quality education that meets the needs of learners, employers and communities.

That means a more agile formula that recognises the cost pressures of high-needs delivery, allows for regional flexibility and incentivises innovation not just compliance. 

Third, we need targeted investment. Strategic capital funding to modernise college estates isn’t a ‘nice to have’ – it is essential for reducing long-term costs and improving the student experience.

Likewise, support for digital infrastructure and workforce development is vital if colleges are to meet rising expectations for blended learning and employer engagement. 

None of this should be viewed in isolation. Financial sustainability isn’t about balance sheets alone, it is about securing the future of the sector’s mission. Colleges sit at the heart of the government’s plan for change. If we want them to deliver on that potential we need to fund them accordingly. 

The education select committee inquiry offers a timely opportunity to reset the conversation. It’s a moment for sector voices to shape policy thinking and for evidence to drive action. Short-term boosts, like the additional £300 million announced in the autumn budget, are welcome but they are not enough. 

What is needed is structural reform, informed by robust benchmarking and a deep understanding of the pressures colleges face on the ground. 

FE has done more with less for too long. It is time to invest in its future. 

Northern College proposes merger after weathering ‘perfect storm’

One of England’s two independent adult residential colleges is hoping to secure a “long-term and sustainable future” by merging with a neighbouring general FE college.

Northern College has put forward a plan to merge with Barnsley College, staff were told last week.

It comes four years after the FE Commissioner set out a “perfect storm” of circumstances which put Northern College at risk of financial collapse. 

The college decided to remain a standalone institution in 2021 and has weathered the storm ever since, with its latest accounts showing an improvement in financial health. 

But there continues to be uncertainty over the funding formula for adult residential education from its majority funder – the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) – which has so far only been committed up to the 2025-26 academic year. Student recruitment also continues to pose a “big” risk.

If the merger goes ahead, Birmingham’s Fircroft College will be the only standalone adult residential college left in England.

Emma Beal, who became principal of Northern College in March 2023, and David Akeroyd, principal of Barnsley College, said in a joint statement: “Northern College and Barnsley College have been exploring ways to secure a long-term and sustainable future for Northern College. 

“Those discussions are now focused on a proposed voluntary merger with Barnsley College.”

The aim of the merger is to “protect and strengthen” Northern College’s distinct identity – retaining its brand, continuing its residential provision and ensuring delivery remains at Wentworth Castle with access to National Trust grounds.

“Our shared intention is to build on the breadth and quality of what we already offer, keeping the needs of our learners and communities at the heart of this work,” the joint statement added.

The colleges have not yet said whether any jobs will be at risk of redundancy or whether any provision will be lost if the merger goes ahead. 

Northern College employs around 70 people and had over 3,000 enrolments last year, which included a range of short community learning courses designed to re-engage adults in learning and a programme of longer accredited courses.

The college is rated ‘good’ by Ofsted and holds a financial health rating of ‘requires improvement’.

Northern College’s latest accounts, for the 2023-24 year, highlight that the methodology for funding residential provision has been under review since 2019. One has since been agreed with the Department for Education and another one of the college’s funders, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

But SYMCA, which provides 75 per cent of the college’s funding, has not yet agreed a permanent funding model for 2026-27 and beyond, according to the financial statements, which add that “if the level of residential funding reduces, this would have a significant financial impact”. 

Barnsley College employs around 850 people and teaches around 9,000 students. It is rated ‘good’ by Ofsted and has ‘outstanding’ financial health. 

Beal’s and Akeroyd’s joint statement said a series of formal steps towards a merger will now begin, although a completion date has not yet been decided. 

“A key part of the process will involve formal consultation with both internal and external stakeholders, with more information to follow in due course,” the statement said.

“A set of frequently asked questions to support staff and provide further clarity will be shared shortly and kept updated as things progress.”

Make post-16 an ‘integrated’ tertiary system – report

England should move to an integrated tertiary education system instead of making FE and HE “in competition” with each other, a report has suggested.

Following research that reviewed post-16 education across the four UK nations, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has also called for an “urgent need” to review the pay and conditions of FE staff after finding decades-long “constrained resources” from competing with industry pay.

Authors at the EPI and the University of Oxford’s research centre SKOPE have also urged for a review of apprenticeship provision in favour of young people and better regulatory frameworks to ensure “more equitable access”.

It comes ahead of the government’s new post-16 strategy and white paper, which is due to be published imminently. 

The think tank’s report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, found policy churn had created an “unstable environment”, confusing pathways for learners, and “dissatisfied” employers in the post-16 education sector.

Luke Sibieta, research fellow at the EPI, said while post-16 is often an “afterthought” for policymakers, the “constant” policy churn is adding to the complexity in all four nations.

“Constant policy churn emphasises the view that the [education & training] system is at best flawed and at worst failing,” the report said.

Previous EPI research pointed out that since devolution in 1999, England’s FE system has undergone six education acts, nine reviews, and eight government strategy papers.

“Policymakers must prioritise creating a stable set of high-quality post-16 institutions, with a stronger focus on tackling persistent inequalities,” Sibieta said.

The report also highlighted the differences between the four nations joining up FE and HE within a “holistic tertiary sector”.

It said the devolved governments in Scotland and Wales have a “much greater role” in coordinating the “distinctive and complementary nature” of both academic and vocational pathways.

Meanwhile in England, and Northern Ireland to a lesser extent, the report found a so-called “market logic” led to FE and HE in competition with each other as a way of responding to both student demand and employer skills demands.

Employer representatives told the think tank their ability to engage effectively was “curtailed” by being treated as customers instead of “stakeholders with active responsibilities”.

EPI analysis however found “pockets of intense competition” in Scotland and Wales and local collaboration between FE and HE providers in England.

“Our analysis suggests these kinds of policy structures across all four nations are often more complex and shaped more by local/regional dynamics than top-level policy suggests,” the report said.

Professor James Robson, director of SKOPE, said: “Across the UK nations, there is a trend towards more joined up policy approaches to education and training that emphasise greater collaboration between HE and FE, the state playing a greater role in coordinating skills supply, and a more place-based approach to the development of an integrated tertiary education system. 

“This policy approach needs to be developed further to ensure post-16 education and training is working effectively and efficiently for both the economy and society.” 

Critical work to be done on pay

The report also found that constrained resources were a recurring theme among post-16 providers across the UK, particularly in the recruitment and retention of FE staff from industry.

“A major issue emphasised was the challenge of competing with pay and conditions in industry, and as a result, ensuring staff were high quality, adequately skilled, and understand industry need,” the report said, adding the inequality between FE teacher and school teacher pay.

Employers also acknowledged that recruitment and retention issues “undermined efforts” to build meaningful relationships with education providers.

Researchers recommended an “urgent need” to conduct a full review of pay and conditions for FE staff and ensure there is “greater equity at the heart” of the sector’s workforce.

Skills minister Jacqui Smith told MPs last month that teacher pay rises in FE should “keep up” with schools over the next few years.

She said she couldn’t “really see a justification” for the pay difference between college and school teachers, which she admitted is “part of the reason” for high vacancy rates in FE colleges.

‘Urgent’ review of apprenticeship participation

Today’s report also recommended that all four nations should conduct an urgent review of apprenticeship participation, including introducing mechanisms to ensure more young people take apprenticeships.

This was after it highlighted the age of learners starting an apprenticeship has “shifted over time” to mostly over-25-year-olds.

Researchers heard young people were deeply frustrated that the best apprenticeships were being “stolen” by older learners.

The report said: “There was a sense of deep inequalities at the heart of apprenticeships, particularly in England. The challenge in finding and accessing apprenticeships was repeatedly highlighted by the young people in our research who called for better systems to find opportunities and better support structures for the application process.”

The EPI also recommended the government develop regulatory frameworks to ensure more equitable access.

The age trend has contributed to the Department for Education’s upcoming reform to “rebalance” the apprenticeship budget towards lower levels by axing funded level 7 apprenticeships for people aged 22 and older from January 2026.

The report added: “This does not need to be a zero-sum game with adult apprenticeships, particularly if adult apprenticeships show high economic returns.

“However, the number of young people taking apprenticeships is small across all four nations, despite their popularity and high returns.”

Fuel pumped up with Ofsted’s premium rating

A provider that trains over 1,000 management apprentices has scored top Ofsted marks.

Fuel Learning, which delivers to big levy-paying employers nationally, was judged ‘outstanding’ across the board in a report published today.

Inspectors praised the “tailored” learning on offer to individual apprentices, high achievement rates and “ambitious” targets that lead to “extremely satisfied” apprentices.

Ofsted did not provide any areas for improvement, which Fuel Learning CEO Ian Prentice was “absolutely thrilled” with.

He told FE Week that when his company, which is traditionally a corporate training firm, moved into apprenticeships he wanted to do it “differently” and be “very work product focused, with a really strong focus on demonstrable return investment for organisations and the individuals”. 

Prentice said “lots of people said that that wouldn’t work” because they needed a “more formulaic approach”, but this Ofsted result is a “genuine reflection” that the delivery style adopted by Fuel works.

Fuel Learning had 1,014 apprentices during the inspection week in June. Of these, 489 were studying towards the level 3 team leader apprenticeship, 343 were studying towards level 5 operations manager apprenticeship and 182 were studying the level 7 senior leader apprenticeship. All apprentices are adults over the age of 18.

Ofsted said leaders have “high expectations of staff and apprentices”, shown by setting of “ambitious targets to drive high achievement, distinction grades and attendance”.

Leaders closely monitor performance against these targets and “take decisive action to ensure staff work towards achieving them”.

Governors also use their “extensive education and sector expertise very effectively” to test leaders’ strategy to achieve high standards. A “very high” proportion of apprentices pass their apprenticeship and achieve distinction grades.

Fuel Learning’s qualification achievement rate, for the year 2023-24, was 73.9 per cent, according to government data.

Leaders were praised by Ofsted for having a “very clear rationale for the curriculums they provide”. Staff combine coaching, facilitation and online learning “skilfully so that apprentices experience a rich and extensive curriculum”, the report said.

Prentice wants to double apprentices

Staff also receive “frequent and extensive” training to continuously develop their teaching and sector skills. 

Ofsted added that the quality of education that apprentices receive is “exceptional”, and apprentices develop “substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours that have a positive impact at work”.

Managers and staff identify apprentices with additional learning needs or disabilities, and support staff meet frequently with these apprentices to closely monitor their progress. 

Inspectors said apprentices are “extremely satisfied with the education and training they receive”. They have “very clearly defined long-term and intermediate career goals that are agreed with their employer and the provider staff”.

Prentice said he wants to grow the number of Fuel’s apprentices to around 2,000. But he admitted the government’s level 7 reforms, which defunds apprenticeships at master’s level for those aged 22 and older from January 2026, will have an impact.

He labelled the policy as a “shocking decision” and will mean a switch of level 7 delivery to commercial programmes. He said his company is also about to pivot to the level 6 chartered manager degree standard in a bid to fill the gap.

Prentice lastly praised his “small” but “highly specialist” team for being “rigorous in our standards and performance levels”.